as in spectators
someone who sees or watches something
bystanders rushed to help the victim of the mugging
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of bystanders
The shooting occurred outside a Safeway location near Golden Gate Park, sending bystanders into panic.
—
Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
In other angles, bystanders reacted.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Last weekend, tens of thousands from across the world traveled to New York City to run the iconic marathon, attracting friends, families and bystanders to cheer the runners on.
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Others believe the police pursuit policy needs to be reviewed after several innocent bystanders died following police chases earlier this year.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Gun battles erupted as part of the operation — ordered by the state’s tough-on-crime governor — which targeted one of the country’s biggest drug trafficking organizations, though bystanders are feared to have been caught in the crossfire.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Video from the scene shows an agent wrestling a suspect to the ground and striking him multiple times as bystanders shouted profanity and tried to intervene, with one person attempting to pull an agent away.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
That same morning, Nat had watched a video of three trans women being attacked in Los Angeles, the assailant egged on by bystanders.
—James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Nearby, other agents fire chemical irritants into the ground to keep bystanders away, appearing to cause some people to cough, the video shows.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
In other angles, bystanders reacted.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Last weekend, tens of thousands from across the world traveled to New York City to run the iconic marathon, attracting friends, families and bystanders to cheer the runners on.
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Others believe the police pursuit policy needs to be reviewed after several innocent bystanders died following police chases earlier this year.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Gun battles erupted as part of the operation — ordered by the state’s tough-on-crime governor — which targeted one of the country’s biggest drug trafficking organizations, though bystanders are feared to have been caught in the crossfire.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Video from the scene shows an agent wrestling a suspect to the ground and striking him multiple times as bystanders shouted profanity and tried to intervene, with one person attempting to pull an agent away.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
That same morning, Nat had watched a video of three trans women being attacked in Los Angeles, the assailant egged on by bystanders.
—James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Nearby, other agents fire chemical irritants into the ground to keep bystanders away, appearing to cause some people to cough, the video shows.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bystanders
Noun
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Then a gunshot appeared to ring out, sending spectators running in the opposite direction.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Pulcer was known for entertaining spectators at the Soo Locks by blasting classical music day or night over the vessel's speakers, Winters said.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As the 34-year-old Mamdani prepares to be sworn in at midnight on New Year’s Eve, observers and even close supporters wonder if his showbiz pedigree will translate to support for the city’s film and TV production sector.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
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Legal observers are also watching whether the Court’s conservative majority—which invoked the major questions doctrine to strike down Biden-era initiatives on student loans, pandemic mandates, and climate rules—applies the same standard to a Republican president.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Regardless of where the viewers are coming from, eyeballs are returning to the baseball diamond, and the Dodgers have demonstrated just how significant their role in the shift has been.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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However, as the show continues to capture audiences with a dramatization of one of the most notorious true crime cases in modern American history, the man responsible for the killings is asking viewers to consider watching with a skeptical mind.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bystanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bystanders. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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